The present invention relates to a ratchet device and, more particularly, to a ratchet device that controls a ratcheting direction by lateral movement of a control member.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2009/0217789 discloses a ratchet control structure including a socket, a twisting head, and a control ring. The socket includes inner ratchet teeth. A polygonal driving ring to be driven by a wrench or a sleeve is disposed above the socket. The twisting head includes a body engaged in the socket. A ball is biased by a spring received in a positioning hole in the body into one of a plurality of arced slots in the control ring. Two engagement blocks are pivotably mounted to the body for releasable engagement with the inner ratchet teeth. The control ring can be rotated to control positioning of the ball in one of the arced slots and to push one or both of the engagement blocks such that the ratchet control structure can drive an object in either of clockwise and counterclockwise directions. However, the control ring is liable to be inadvertently actuated while a user holds the socket during operation. The user has to move the control ring back to the desired position.
Thus, a need exists for a ratchet device without the risk of inadvertent actuation during use.